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To: koan who wrote (143917)	1/28/2009 3:39:44 PM
From: Rocket Red	Respond to of 314078

Ontario readies for electric cars KAREN HOWLETT AND GREG KEENAN Thursday, January 15, 2009 TORONTO — Ontario is taking its first baby steps to position itself for the coming revolution in electric cars by backing a California high-tech company that plans to build battery recharging stations. Better Place, based in Palo Alto, will unveil a pilot project at a news conference in Toronto today to build a recharging station in Ontario, sources said. This will be the first foray into Canada for the company, which is working with partners to build recharging stations in the United States, Israel, Denmark and Australia. Better Place is setting up shop here just as the embattled Detroit auto makers are betting their futures on hybrid and battery-powered vehicles, which will arrive as soon as next year. Premier Dalton McGuinty and Minister of International Trade Sandra Pupatello will be on hand for the announcement to signal the province's support for ventures aimed at getting the next generation of cars onto the province's roads. While there will be no government money attached to today's announcement, sources said that will come at a later date. The McGuinty government has earmarked a total of $1.15-billion in funding for ventures that will help the province weather the economic downturn by creating jobs of the future. Better Place is an ideal candidate for funding because much of the government's focus is on encouraging the auto sector to build cars that are more environmentally friendly. Better Place, which was founded in 2007 to help the auto sector reduce its dependence on oil and its carbon footprint, would allow drivers to exchange a depleted electric vehicle battery at one of the company's stations for a fully charged one. Its first recharging station is slated for San Francisco, where Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a big push for cars with lower emissions. Plug-in hybrids, or extended-range electric vehicles, run mainly on battery power with a small gasoline engine for backup if the battery runs out of juice before the vehicle reaches its destination. They were the main focus at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week as the car companies unveiled future vehicles. But persuading consumers to pay the thousands of dollars more for these cars will be a tough sell. The batteries alone can cost as much as $8,000. The Detroit Three car makers and their rivals unveiled fleet after fleet of gas-electric hybrids or battery-powered cars. Ranges vary, but General Motors Corp. is aiming at a 60-kilometre distance for its Chevrolet Volt, which is due out late next year. A new completely battery-powered compact from Ford Motor Co. is designed to have a range of about 160 kilometres and will run on lithium ion batteries that can be recharged overnight from home electricity outlets. Ford has formed a strategic alliance with Canadian parts maker Magna International Inc. to develop that vehicle and aims to have 10,000 of them on the road in 2011. © Copyright The Globe and Mail